To Build A Life In Death
by Hekate1308
Summary: Madison didn't watch Emma's body disintegrate; she had seen it happen often enough so that it didn't faze her anymore, but Emma was her friend and the closest thing to a sister she had ever had. Besides, she had to make her way back to the clearing where they had met for the first time. Sequel to "To Be Alive In Death". Emma in Purgartory.


Madison didn't watch Emma's body disintegrate; she had seen it happen often enough so that it didn't faze her anymore, but Emma was her friend and the closest thing to a sister she had ever had.

Besides, she had to make her way back to the clearing where they had met for the first time.

Thankfully they always travelled light, so that she didn't have to leave anything behind. Until she'd stumbled upon Emma, she hadn't been able to tell where she was going and had been glad if she didn't constantly die and wake up again; but the Amazon had taught her many things, and she knew she had to move eastward.

It would probably take her three days to cover the distance; and for the first time in a long time, she'd be alone. But she had a goal, knew where she was going.

She could handle three days alone with her thoughts.

Until Emma had saved her, she hadn't known Amazons existed, but that was no surprise. In the beginning, she'd hardly been able to identify any of the creatures who attacked her constantly. Then, she'd begun to learn the signs to look for – at least of the most common monsters; but still there had been too many to remember.

And she was certain she hadn't met an Amazon before. Probably because, as Emma had told her, they were supposed to run straight into battle in Purgatory, which Madison had always done her best to avoid.

Either way, she was glad to have stumbled upon the one exception. In fact, Emma's determination to help who they could reminded her of Sam and Dean.

It haunted her sometimes, Sam's look right before he shot her.

They might not have known each other for long, but she felt they could have had something.

If she hadn't already been turned when he met her.

In the beginning, fleeing from everything that moved, she had been angry. It was just so unfair. Why did she end up a werewolf only because her neighbour...

She had learned not to think about such things. It led to nothing. She had soon realized that, since she woke up again and again, the one thing she could do was survive as long as possible.

Dying and being resurrected weren't pleasant sensations. Some monsters killed you fast, thank God, but then there were these sadistic bastards who liked to draw it out. A Kelpie (or at least what she now thought had been one) had once eaten most of her legs before she finally passed out.

It certainly felt good that she was able to get them before they got her these days.

While she might not have minded being alone very much, she certainly missed Emma a lot during her travels. What if, for once, the circle was broken and she never turned up again?

She pushed the thought away and kept walking.

She arrived at the clearing at the time she had foreseen. Emma was nowhere in sight, and she settled down to wait.

Of course she would wake up two days in the other direction of the clearing, Emma thought resignedly. Madison had warned her that one didn't wake up where one had died.

And of course she didn't have any of their weapons either. She figured she could easily slip past any monster who wanted to harm her, though.

To her surprise, the first one she stumbled upon was a small boy who happily jumped out from behind a tree and hugged her, calling out "Emma!"

"Tommy" she greeted him, ruffling his hair.

Hunters (she had been relieved to hear that her... family hadn't been involved) had wiped out his whole nest without realizing that they had been living on blood transfusions they bought, and Tommy had been trying to find his mother when a had attacked him; thankfully Emma and Madison had heard his cries for help and had been able to save him.

It hadn't taken them long to find his nest after that and Tommy had run into the arms of his mother. They had stayed with them for a while, but left later to help out others.

"Emma! Where's Maddy?"

She sighed. "I'm trying to find her, kiddo."

"So you're lost? Like I was?"

Emma nodded. Tommy's face lit up.

"We can help you!"

"Thank you, but – "

"Tommy!" a woman called out right before bursting through the bushes and scooping her son into her arms.

"What did I tell you? You're not supposed to leave the nest –"

"Look, Mum it's Emma!" Tommy interrupted her at the same time Emma said much quieter, "Hello, Carmilla".

"Emma! How wonderful to see you again! Is Madison with you?"

When she saw Emma's expression her smile dropped.

"Oh. Is she – "

"It was me. We're trying to find each other. Actually I'm not that far away – "

She already knew from the look in Carmilla's eyes that she couldn't escape an invitation, and perhaps it was just as well that she rested for a few hours. Madison had mentioned that dying and being resurrected left one a little shaky, and she definitely agreed.

Carmilla would only let her go the next day, or at least after what Emma assumed would have been the length of a night on earth. The constant twilight made it difficult to remember what day it was, or how long she had been here.

All she knew was that she'd spend eternity here, and that she had only had three days on earth.

Sometimes, she still felt angry at her mother and the other Amazons. She had met so many different monsters here, and many were just like Carmilla and her nest – of course there was the bloodthirsty variety too, and she often imagined that some of those she had encountered must have been sent here by her father.

She and her "sisters" could so easily have been _good_. There was no reason to kill their fathers, apart from the old tradition handed down to them by their Goddess. But their Goddess had left a long time ago. She wouldn't return, no matter what the others said.

They could just have lived quiet lives. Not all hunters were like those that killed Tommy's nest; while most were not really tolerant of monsters, they were willing to listen.

And then of course there were those like her... family.

She didn't think Dean would only have let her go because she was his daughter.

 _You haven't killed anybody yet, Emma. Walk away._

They could have lived among the humans in peace and no one would ever have _known_.

"You look sad" Carmilla observed. Emma smiled at the woman, wishing her own mother had been more like her.

"It's complicated."

"Isn't it always?" she answered as the screams and laughter of the nest's children grew louder.

Her eyes grew misty and she looked away. Emma understood.

"It can't be easy. He'll never grow up".

"Neither will you, dear. But at least we're together". She reached out and patted her hand. "Are you sure you don't want anyone to accompany you?"

"I'll be fine" she assured her. "I'm almost there."

She really was, and she felt rested too.

"But now that you know where we settled down, you'll come visit, right? Bring Madison."

"I will" she promised.

And she meant to keep it.

As she finally approached the clearing, she felt more and more nervous. She was going to tell Madison the truth, as she had sworn to herself when she was dying. Again.

And of course now that she had chosen the surname of Winchester, Madison had to know. Normally, she would have been told which had been given to her after she had killed her father, the sisterhood standing around her, cheering.

She didn't feel like she'd missed out on anything.

"Emma!"

Madison rushed towards her as soon as she stepped into the clearing. She threw her arms around her; they held on for a while.

"How are you feeling?" Madison asked, letting go.

"I'm fine" she replied as she wondered how to begin.

In the end, it was easy to tell the truth.

Madison stared at her for a moment before she burst into laughter.

"Oh God, Emma – " she finally pressed out. "I'm sort of your aunt!"

Emma couldn't help but laugh as well, then. But as sudden as it had started, Madison's laughter broke off.

"I'm sorry – I didn't need to remind you – "

"I probably would have shot me too, given the circumstances" she said simply. "And it's not like you weren't killed by Sam Winchester."

"I tend to forget about that" Madison sighed, looking as if she –

"Oh no" Emma interrupted her, "I had to listen to that story when you didn't know, but I don't have to hear that again about my _uncle_ ".

That promptly sent them into another fit of laughter.

"So Emma Winchester it is?" Madison inquired after they had calmed down.

Emma nodded.

"Fits. Considering what we're doing here..." her expression grew sad. "Even if we probably don't make much of a difference."

Emma knew these thoughts well. After all they were stuck fighting a hopeless battle.

But at the same time...

"I met Tommy and his nest. They're doing well."

"Glad to hear it."

"He wanted to know where _Maddie_ was. He was very insistent. I think you have an admirer".

Madison grinned. "Well, that is something, at least. Want a bite?"

They didn't have to eat and rest, no one in Purgatory had to. But curiously, most monsters did – even the extremely vicious ones who kill anything in sight. Maybe it was their way to keep some part of what they had lost.

And for some reason, it was possible to find rivers and food in Purgatory, mostly berries and small grey fruits because of course there was no colour anywhere.

"So they actually got themselves set up" Madison said, referring to Carmilla's nest. "I'm glad."

"They're pretty well hidden" Emma agreed, remembering the cave the nest had discovered and slowly widened. It was dry and as comfortable as could be.

Perhaps there were more such enclosures all over Purgatory. She and Madison hadn't found any, but then they hadn't looked for them.

Maybe they should think about building themselves a home base. It would be nice to return to something.

Emma had never really had a home, all things considered.

"Could be a good idea, getting a cave" Madison guessed her thoughts with the well-trained instinct of a partner in battle.

"Maybe something drier though" Emma supplied.

"Well they're technically undead, you can't really expect – wait. Are dead vampires un-undead?"

"Wouldn't that be alive?" Emma suggested.

"Life" Madison decided "or death or whatever I should call this has turned out much weirder than I thought it would."

"It definitely has" she agreed, "and I was born into a monster cult. Want some more strangely tasty grey stuff?"

Life – or whatever they were supposed to call it – went on. They regularly visited Tommy's nest, and after some discussions and an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the vampires, they began to look for other monsters who needed help, not only because they were currently being hunted but because all they wanted was some safety and peace.

It might be the craziest thing they had ever done, but why not create a village? A city? Something that could take in those who didn't deserve to be here, like Madison.

Emma was still not too sure about herself.

Somehow, they managed to keep it a secret between the good monsters. The last thing they needed was a coordinated attack from all the psycho creepers.

But maybe that had less to do with them being sneaky and all the more with the fact that there was something else everyone seemed to talk about.

At first she paid the rumours no need. Monsters talked just as much between themselves as humans did.

But when she heard that the hunter that was strolling around was looking for _an angel_ and thought of everything the sisterhood had let her know about Dean Winchester, she knew.

Her father was in Purgatory.


End file.
